Open sores on an external surface of the body often form septic breeding grounds for infection, which can lead to serious health complications. For example, foot ulcers on the bottom of a diabetic's foot can lead to gangrene, leg amputation, or, in extreme cases, death. The healthcare establishment therefore recommends monitoring the foot of a diabetic on a regular basis to avoid these and other dangerous consequences. Unfortunately, known techniques for monitoring foot ulcers, among other types of ulcers, often are inconvenient to use, unreliable, or inaccurate, thus reducing compliance by the very patient populations that need it the most.